A Steel Heart

by Amie Knight

  Groaning, he stilled my hand and stepped back. “Sit on the couch and spread, Mae.”

  I backed toward the couch, refusing to take my eyes off this gorgeous man for one second. He walked toward me like a wild animal stalking its prey. It made me nervous. It set me on fire. It made me shiver.

  His broad shoulders seemed to take up an obscene amount of space in the small room as he stalked me toward the sofa. His gaze blazed over me, setting my skin aflame. His bicep flexed as he stroked the length of his cock, drawing every bit of my attention south to where his hand gripped it firmly, his hand pumping slowly.

  A small bit of liquid beaded at the head of his cock and God I wanted to taste it. That little drop made me feel heady and powerful.

  My knees hit the edge of the furniture and Holden placed his hands on my shoulder, pushing me back until I fell onto the couch. Anticipation ran through my veins like liquid fire. Leaning down, he used his big hands to spread my legs before running them up my thighs and right past where I wanted back to my breast where he pinched my nipples between his fingers before running them back down my torso. He kneeled in front of me on the floor and I worried about his prosthesis, but I was too concerned it would ruin the moment to make any mention of it.

  And any worries were gone in an instant, when he slid his tongue down the center of my chest to my belly button, where he dipped his tongue inside.

  “Holden,” I moaned, back arched.

  I wanted his mouth on me. Down there.

  And then it was. He parted my pussy with his thumbs and ran his nose along my slit.

  “Fuck yeah,” he breathed before diving in, sucking my clit deep into his mouth and running his tongue around it.

  He kept going until I had my fingers clutched in his hair, my palm pressed to the back of his head, my pelvis tilted to his mouth.

  He pulled back and ran a finger through my wetness.

  “You’re so wet, baby, so ready for me,” he said, sliding a thick, calloused finger inside me.

  “Yes,” I groaned out, opening my thighs wider for him and pushing his head back toward my pussy.

  He obliged, giving a long lick right up my slit and pumping his finger inside me.

  I whimpered. I was so close to coming. I just needed him to lick me harder. Faster.

  “You like that, baby? You like when I fuck you with my finger and lick your sweet pussy?”

  He dragged his tongue through my wet heat again.

  “Yes, please. I’m so close,” I whispered, both of my hands in his hair now, my legs bent and my feet on his shoulders.

  He looked up at me, his lips shiny with my essence, before looking back down at his finger sliding in and out of me. “I know you are, Mae. You get wetter by the second. It’s the sexiest fucking thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”

  I keened into the room as he gave me another slow lap of his tongue.

  “You ready, baby?” he asked, grabbing my thighs and throwing my legs over his back.

  “Yes,” I cried out as he drove into my pussy with his mouth, sucking my clit deep into his mouth over and over.

  “Yes, fuck!” I shouted as he ate and licked at me while his fingers fucked me relentlessly.

  I dug my heels into his back. I dug my fingernails into his scalp. I ground my wet heat to his face over and over, riding him to completion.

  “That’s it, baby, take it. Take it all,” he mumbled against my core and I froze. It was too much. It would never be enough.

  “Holden!” I shouted, my entire body curled around his face as he lashed his tongue against my clit even as I was coming.

  He sucked and licked and I kept flying.

  I was somewhere high when his mouth was suddenly on mine, my taste on his lips.

  “A condom, Mae,” he whispered against my mouth.

  I sucked his lip into my mouth and answered, “I’m on birth control and clean.”

  Before I knew what was happening, I was being hefted up and to the side on the couch. Holden kneeled on the cushion between my legs, his jeans down just under his hips.

  “I’m clean, too.” And then he was slamming home, filling me up.

  I rang out a sharp cry. I closed my eyes and arched my neck, but Holden’s hand wrapped around my throat gently. “Look at me when I fuck you, Mae.”

  I didn’t want to look at him. It felt too personal, but as soon as my gaze met his I never wanted to look away. His eyes were full of fire, one hand around my neck, the other to the back of the sofa for leverage as he plowed into me again and again. It was magnificent and raw and I only wanted more.

  “Harder,” I grunted and his dimple popped out on his cheek.

  He smoothed his hand around from the front of my neck to the back of my head, where he clutched my hair tightly in his fist.

  “That’s my girl,” he said, sounding proud as he held me in place by my hair, ruthlessly fucking me. Taking every bit of me I was willing to give. It was all so consuming, so over the top, so Holden Steel. It was everything I expected and more.

  Sweat broke out on his forehead and he gnashed his teeth together. “Get there, baby. I’m close and I’m not coming without you.” He grabbed my hand and pushed it down toward where we were connected. “Rub your pussy.”

  I was too far gone to be embarrassed, too consumed by the sound of bodies slapping together. By the vibrations of moans. By the smell of sex in the air.

  I dipped my hand into my wetness, the tips of my fingers brushing his cock before rubbing slow circles around my clit.

  Holden looked down between us, watching himself fuck me, watching me touch myself. “Goddamn, that’s so fucking sexy,” he growled and then his lips were back on mine, his tongue fucking my mouth while his hips drove relentlessly into mine.

  “Yes, yes, yes,” I whispered into his mouth. “Fuck, I’m going to come, Holden. I’m coming.”

  My core clamped around his cock as he thrust into me harder and faster. His hand pulled at my hair as he bit down on my shoulder. He pounded into me as I shook beneath him, head thrown back, riding one wave of ecstasy after another.

  He roared into my silent living room as he poured himself into me. And even though he was completely spent, he still rocked against my core, grinding into me, our bodies slick with sweat and heat.

  He looked between us again, where he was still sliding his surprisingly still hard cock in and out of my wetness. “Fuck, I don’t ever want to leave this tight pussy.”

  I couldn’t agree more. I wrapped my legs around and pulled him closer to me. “Then don’t.”

  I stood outside on the slab of concrete that separated mine and Mae’s apartments and looked down at my nice shoes. And my slacks. A belt. I was wearing a fucking belt and a nice collared shirt and I’d shaved. Fuck, this was probably a bad idea. I hadn’t been out in years. I didn’t like how I was feeling. I didn’t understand it. I felt twitchy and maybe nervous. Fuck, I was nervous. I ran my hands through my gelled hair and patted it back into place. I thought about going back into my apartment and taking this dress up shit off and putting on my sweats and sending Mae a message letting her know I couldn’t make it.

  But I pictured her face on our walk this morning when she’d asked. She wanted me to meet her friends. I wasn’t sure I was ready to take that step. Mae had fallen asleep with me inside of her last night, with me still on top of her. I’d carried her to her bed and tucked her in. I’d lain next to her most of the night, unable to sleep, worried I was screwing things up worse than they already were, terrified I’d have another nightmare and frighten her. So around 4:00 a.m. I’d left a note on her bedside table with a million other Post-its, letting her know I went home to get ready for our walk. I needed to sleep at least a couple of hours before the day started.

  Last night had been incredible and amazing, and my girl had been way wilder than I had ever pegged her for. She’d surprised me. She’d amazed me. It had been the best sex I’d ever experienced and the truth was that during our walk this morning,
I thought of little else but getting her naked and back beneath me. Would she cry out for harder again? Would she beg me to lick her cunt? Would she let me fuck that gorgeous mouth of hers?

  Maybe going out was a bad idea. I’d been trying to give both of us space and then I’d gone and fucked her. It had been hard the last week because I wanted to spend every fucking moment of the day with her. I’d even wanted to hang out with her and that little shit Will when I’d seen them together at the library a couple of days ago, but I knew Mae needed time to think about us. And I needed time. I couldn’t bear to load this woman with a crippled, emotionally scarred ex-army ranger. How would I ever stay away from her now? Now that I’d been inside her. Now that I couldn’t get enough of her.

  I never wanted to dampen Mae’s spirit. It was special, and I was terrified I’d crush it.

  Nevertheless, I raised my hand and knocked on the door to her apartment. I was a damn fool. A fool for her. At least I’d finally get to meet her friends that for some reason I found myself insanely jealous of. They got to see her whenever they wanted. They had her over for movie nights in her pajamas. They got to enjoy her without worrying they would fucking destroy her.

  The door opened and I froze. Fucking Christ, she looked magnificent. She looked good enough to eat and I wanted to drop to my knees right there and lift the black dress that seemed to be made exactly for her body. It was formfitting and stretchy and hugged every curve of her delicious body. And her hair. Fuck, but I loved the red richness of it, and I’d never seen it curled and down. Usually she kept it hidden in a knot on the top of her head. Not tonight. Tonight she had it down in loose, red waves around her shoulders that made me want to run my hands through every soft strand. I could tell she was wearing makeup and her lips were covered in a gloss that only accentuated them.

  “Hey, Hold.” Her mouth turned up and her eyes danced.

  I looked her over again from head to toe and noticed the black very high heels on her feet, which made her legs look incredible. I almost groaned thinking of fucking her in nothing but those shoes. Maybe we should skip dinner and head back inside.

  She closed her door and stood in front of me. Reaching her hand out, she ran her fingers through my hair. I wanted to purr like a big damn cat. It was ridiculous.

  “You clean up good, Steel,” she said too damn close to my face for comfort. I wanted to kiss that gloss right the fuck off her lips.

  I backed away from her hand and grinned down at her. “You don’t look too bad yourself, Jacobs.”

  She giggled. “I’m Jacobs now? I think I like Mae better.”

  I grabbed her hand in mine, helping her down the steps. She was wearing heels. I was being a gentleman. It wasn’t because I hadn’t touched her since last night and I was dying to. It wasn’t.

  “Is it okay if we take my truck or are you going to make me ride in that orange atrocity again?”

  She smirked. “I’ll let you drive, but only because your truck is closer and these heels are already pinching my toes.”

  I opened the door to my vehicle and helped her in. She beamed at me from the seat as I went to close the door, but I stopped and froze in place for a minute, overcome by this woman’s beauty, inside and out—she was the most gorgeous person I’d ever met. She’d given me her body and her heart. Before I knew it, my hand was on her cheek, my face nuzzled against it.

  “You look beautiful, Mae,” I said, my voice thick with want and emotion.

  Her face flushed, bringing a peach hue to her cheeks that only made me think her more beautiful.

  I stepped back and shut her in the truck. I took a deep breath as I rounded the truck. I needed to calm the fuck down. Turned out there was no fucking this woman out of my system. If my dick was anything to go by, I only wanted her more.

  It was only a couple of miles to the Flying Saucer, so I did my best to ignore how her dress rode up on her legs, deliciously exposing parts of her thighs I’d had my hands on only hours ago. I tried hard not to think about how she sighed every now and then and remarked how my truck smelled like me. She seemed to really like how I smelled.

  I couldn’t smell a damn thing but her. I could never place what she smelled like, but after last night I knew. Vanilla. Like icing or ice cream. Or like the glaze on those delicious fucking donuts I’d never wanted to taste. And fuck, I wanted to eat her up. Like last night I could have eaten her sweet cream all night long.

  I parked a block down from the bar because it was the weekend and the place the locals called The Vista was packed. It was restaurant after restaurant after bar, and most of the people who lived here frequented The Vista on the weekend for drinks or to hit up their favorite food spot.

  I admittedly was a little more nervous than I was used to. I’d been in life-threatening situations plenty of times, but I’d never met the friends or family of a woman I cared for. With sweaty palms I entered the bar, a hand to Mae’s back. I was being territorial. I wanted every man in the place to know she was here with me.

  As soon as we cleared the entrance, we were tackled by a small pixie-like girl with dark hair and big eyes. “Hookerrrrrrrr,” she yelled in Mae’s ear while hugging her and rocking back and forth.

  “Kellyyyyyy,” Mae yelled back, clutching the petite woman to her.

  The woman pulled out of Mae’s embrace and studied me so closely my skin burned a bit.

  “Well, hubba hubba,” the small girl with the big eyes said. “Who do we have here?” She leered at me.

  Mae giggled like a school girl and I looked at her. “Kelly, this is my friend Holden. Holden, this is Kelly.”

  Kelly’s little hand fanned her face. “I’ve been saying for months that there’s something in the water down here in the Carolinas. You guys make the hottest men I’ve ever seen.” She laid a hand against my chest.

  I almost smiled at her compliment, until I saw Mae’s eyes narrow on Kelly. “Lay off, Kells.” She politely removed Kelly’s hand from my body. Then she leaned up and whispered in my ear. “Don’t you dare give her the dimple, Steel.”

  I pushed my frown back into place when really I wanted to grin like a fucking maniac. Someone was a little territorial as well. I didn’t feel so alone anymore.

  Kelly dragged Mae, who dragged me, toward a table at the back of the noisy, crowded bar to where a blonde and the hipster douche I’d seen at Mae’s house sat in a big booth.

  “Hey, guys.” Mae waved as we sat on one side of the booth, making everyone move in further.

  “Hey,” the blonde smiled at me. She was cute in a wild hair and open face kind of way. I got the old head nod from the hipster dude.

  “Y’all, this is my friend Holden. Holden, this is Ainsley and Adrian.”

  I nodded at each of them, but I noticed Adrian didn’t look all that overjoyed to meet me. Even as everyone ordered drinks and I passed for water since I’d be driving, he watched me like a hawk. Like he was waiting on me to do something wrong. Like maybe he didn’t think I was good enough for Mae. He was right, but it was none of his goddamn business.

  I noticed Ainsley didn’t drink either and I remembered that she was pregnant.

  Loud Kelly didn’t hold back any questions. “How did you guys meet?” She was looking at me, so clearly she was waiting on me to answer, but I wasn’t much of a talker unless it was with Mae.

  I looked over at her and she was sipping her martini. She stopped when she realized I didn’t answer and peered over at Kelly. “He’s my neighbor. He lives right across the hall.”

  Kelly waggled her eyebrows and smiled. “Lucky!”

  Mae nodded. “Speaking of lucky. Heard anything out of Anthony?”

  Kelly rolled her eyes. “Please, girl, I haven’t heard from that man since he hit it and quit it.”

  Miranda leaned close to me and whispered, “Anthony Jackson is a childhood friend. Kelly came to town a few months ago and they had a one-night stand. He threw her out the morning after.”

  I nodded and glanced over at Kelly. I c
ouldn’t figure out why a man would sleep with her and then kick her to the curb. She was pretty and seemed nice enough. She was no Mae, but she wasn’t bad.

  “We should dance.” Kelly bounced around in her seat.

  Ainsley cringed and huffed out, “I’m not dancing. I’m exhausted. And I told you, Kells, I’m not hanging out very long tonight. I’m beat.”

  Kelly pointed at Ainsley’s stomach. “It’s that parasite. It’s sucking the life out of you.”

  “Don’t call him that.” Adrian gave Kelly a dirty look, but she only laughed.

  Ainsley didn’t seem to take offense. “What’s the problem, Kells? No baby parasites for you?”

  Kelly’s face said it all. “Nope. No little ones for me. I wanna travel. Party. Have fun. Those little boogers keep you from doing that. If I want any baby snuggles, I’ll just borrow yours and then I can give it back.”

  “How do you know it’s a boy?” Mae chimed in, looking at Adrian.

  Adrian shrugged. “I just do.”

  “Come on, Ains, one dance,” Kelly pleaded and Ainsley gave a reluctant nod as she got out of the booth on the other side, Adrian following.

  Mae nudged my arm. “Come on, Hold. Let’s hit the dance floor.”

  “I don’t dance,” I deadpanned.

  “Well, you’re gonna tonight.”

  I shook my head. “No, I’m not.”

  She trained her brown puppy dog eyes on me and batted them for effect. “Please, Holden, please dance with me.”

  “Why?” What was the big deal? Why did we have to dance? Why couldn’t we just hang out while everyone else was gone? I liked it better when it was just her and me anyway.

  She grabbed my hand and dragged me toward the dance floor. “Sometimes you just gotta dance, Hold.”

  The fast, thumping base of rap music phased out into a slow love song as soon as we hit the dance floor. Of fucking course. I stood there awkwardly. For some reason, slow dancing seemed even more intimidating.

  Mae wasted no time pulling me toward her body until her beating heart was pressed as close to mine as she could get with our height difference.